Burglar who targeted Durham University students sentenced
By Abigail Tobias
A “career burglar” who targeted the homes of Durham University students during the winter holidays has been jailed for seven years and four months, after leaving his prison ID card at one of the student rented properties.
Forty-nine-year-old Barry Lowery admitted to four counts of burglary, which involved breaking into student residences in the city’s popular Viaduct area.
Forty-nine-year-old Barry Lowery admitted to four counts of burglary, which involved breaking into student residences in the city’s popular Viaduct area between December 2024 and January of this year. The properties targeted included: Hawthorne Terrace, Summerville, Laburnum Avenue, and John Street.
The court heard that Lowery stole numerous valuables from a total of ten students, including: an engraved Mont Blanc pen worth £340, an iPad, an Apple Watch, a passport, DJ decks, a Trek mountain bike, jewellery, and various items of aftershave. One student said Lowery also took a pair of her underwear, describing the act as “creepy and weird.”
In one of the burglaries, Lowery fled after encountering a lone female student, who was so distressed by the incident that she decided to leave Durham for the remainder of the holiday period.
The court was told that this was Lowery’s third such offense, with an extensive criminal record and a history of targeting student homes. His defense lawyer, Ms. Turner, highlighted Lowery’s difficult upbringing – that he had grown up in the care system and had been in a form of custody since he was a teenager.
The court heard that Lowery stole numerous valuables from a total of ten students, including: an engraved Mont Blanc pen worth £340, an iPad, an Apple Watch, a passport, DJ decks, a Trek mountain bike, jewellery, and various items of aftershave. One student said Lowery also took a pair of her underwear, describing the act as “creepy and weird.”
“He was removed from his parents at a very young age due to physical and emotional abuse. He spent many hours locked in his bedroom as a child, often not seeing daylight or going to school.
“He tells me he deliberately left fingerprints and his prison ID so police would know who to come looking for, with the aim of going back to prison.” Ms Turner added that Lowery “feels safe and secure in prison”.
However, Judge Bennet rejected the notion that Lowery’s actions were motivated solely by a desire to return to custody, pointing out that he had “fenced” many of the stolen goods. Branding him a “career burglar,” the judge sentenced Lowery to seven years and four months in prison.
Temporary Det Sgt Ryan Harrison urged Durham students to keep their windows and doors locked.
He also commented “I would like to thank all the victims, especially the brave victim who identified him after confronting him in her bedroom,”
Image: Eleanor Tait
